Resilient golf club head



July 31, 1934.

I L. A. YOUNG RESILIENT GOLF CLUB HEAD Filed Dec. 51, 1931 INVENTOR A TORNEYS Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT GOLF CLUB HEAD Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Mich. Application December 31, 1931, Serial No. 584,264

'1 Claims. (01. 273-78) My invention relates to golf clubs and more and lower edges of the shell and a similar offset particularly to an improved golf club head. channel extending along the end edge of the An object of the invention is to provide a golf shell. The smaller end of this shell is formed club head which is so constructed as to have a with an integral angularly extending tubular fi l. cushioning effect and tend to absorb the shock member or hosel 7 to receive the lower end of or vibrations incident to the club head striking the usual shaft 8. 1 the ball. Fitting within the shell 5 is a precast body 11 Further the invention provides a golf club head adapted to add weight to the club head and wherein the contact or striking face of the club which body or block is formed with a convex '10-" is'provided with resilient elements which present rear surface 12 fitting within the concavity of a surface to which the ball will adhere, more or the shell 5 and having laterally extending ribs less, and not slip thereon, producing somewhat or edge portions 13 lying within the offset chanof a gripping action on the ball, whereby a back nels 6 and a similar extended rib or projection spin may be given the ball when struck, if so 14 lies within the offset channel 10 at the end 151 desired. of the shell. The front or ball engaging face The invention also provides a golf club head of the body or block 11 is substantially flat and embodying a shell and a precast insert or weight flush with the front edges of the shell. block which is united to the shell through the For the purpose of dampening the vibration or medium of a substance of limited resilience which absorbing the shock incident to the body 11 congojmay be vulcanized or otherwise caused to adhere tacting'with the ball, a sheet or coating of rubto and unite said shell and block, said substance, ber 16 is interposed between the inner surface because of its resilience, serving as a cushioning of the shell and the rear surface of the body 11, medium to dampen vibrations which would otherand is also extended into the edge channels 6 wise be transmitted from the head to the club and 10, and as shown in Fig. 4 this rubber sheet gsishaft, and thence to the hands and arms of the or coating 16 is extended rearwardly between the player. i lower end portion of the staii 8 and the adjacent With the above and other ends in view the inrear end of the body 11. In addition to thisrubvention consists in thenovel combination of eleber coating serving as a shock absorbing medium ments and constructions and arrangements of or cushioning element for the club head, it also 30 parts, all as hereinafter set forth and more parserves as a union between the body 11 and shell,

ticularly pointed out in the appended claims, refby being vulcanized or' otherwise made fast dierence being had to the accompanying drawing rectly to the inner surface of the shell and the in which opposed surface of the body 11, also within said i Fig; l is a front elevation of a golf club illusedge channel of the shell.

35 trative of an embodiment of the present inven- For the purpose of further cushioning the club tion; head and to cause the ball to back spin in flight Fis- 2 i a im v w h w h de of he when struck by the flat or striking face'l5 of the club Opp thatshown in block or body, said face is provided with rows Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the club head, of depressions 1'7, and received in each of these igdf u y p theiline depressions and vulcanized or otherwise per- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the manently secured within each of said depres- S p the line i sions, is a rubber body, disk or button 18, the front .Fi 5 is a front l va n i u rativ f face or each of which is flush with the striking mod fied Construction; surface 15 of the club head. It will thus be seen 45 Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the side of the that these rubber inserts 18 will serve to cushion clu pp t s wn in Fi 5; the blow, and at the same time will present a Fig. '7 is a transverse section of the club head surface upon which the ball will not slip when substantially upon the line 7-? Fig. 5; and struck and which byits gripping effect on the ball,

Fig. 8, is a longitudinal section through the will impart a back spin to the ball by a proper 5 same upon the line 88 Fig. 5. manipulation of theclub.

Referring the deta l, a d par- By interposing the comparatively thin sheet of ticularly 'to' that embodiment disclosed in Figs. rubber 16 or other resilient material between the 1-4 inclusive, a shell 5 which is substantially interior surfaces of the shell 5 and the exterior concavo-convex in cross section, has offset edge surfaces of the body 11, the full force of the blow 55 channel portions 6 extending along the upper incident to the face of this body or block striking a ball, and vibrations set up thereby will not be transmitted to the shell and consequently the shaft and handle of the club and thence to the hands and arms of the player, but will be absorbed to a maximum degree. Also, as heretofore stated, this thickness of elastic substance is vulcanized directly to the shell and body, thereby effectively uniting the same and holding the body firmly within the shell.

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the shell is formed with a front wall 19 and parallel upper and lower edge channels 20 and an end edge channel 21 forming a continuation of the channels 20. The filler or weight body 11a in this instance is formed with straight front side to seat toward the wall 19 of the shell and with a convex rear side forming the back face of the club head and is also formed with edge ribs or extensions 22 which engage within the channels 20 and also with an end rib or projection 23 which is engaged within the end channel 21.

The front wall 19 of the shell, in this embodiment of the invention, provides a striking surface for the club head and this front wall is provided with rows of depressions or countersinks 24 to receive resilient bodies or buttons 25 which are vulcanized or otherwise secured therein, the same corresponding to the buttons 18 and are for the same purpose. The face of the body 11a adjacent the wall 19 is provided with depressions 26 opposite the depressions 24 to receive the same, and interposed between the inner face of the front wall 19 and this front face of the body 110,, is a layer of elastic material 2'7 which is vulcanized or otherwise secured directly to the opposed faces of the shell and body. As shown particularly in Figs. '7 and 8, the depressions 24 and 26 provide a sinuous surface throughout substantially the entire area of the front wall 19 or face of the club head and these depressions are filled flush with the striking face of the club head, by the buttons 25. An effective bond is secured between this wall 19 and opposed face of the weight body 11a by means of the vulcanizing of the layer 27 of rubber thereto, this rubber coating also extending between the buttons of the depressions 26 and the depressions 24 of the wall 19. Further the depressions 24 interfitting with the depressions 26, produce an effective union between the shell and body throughout the head face thus providing a materially greater area of connected surfaces than if the two surfaces were relatively flat, and movement of the wall 19 relative to the body face or springing away therefrom is prevented.

In this form of the invention the front or striking face of the club head is comparatively resilient and cushions the blow, absorbing the vibrations set up thereby rather than transmitting the same through the body 11 as in the case of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4. Further the weight member of the club head in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is resiliently mounted and the force of the swing of the club is transmitted to said member through the interposed resilient covering at the rear of the weight, thus giving the maximum flight to the ball. In both embodiments of the invention, maximum flight is obtained, back spin is secured when desired, and vibrations incident to the blow are effectively dampened out before they reach the hands of the player.

What I claim is 1. In a golf club head, a shell having channel portions extending along its side edges and end edge, and a weight body constituting the principal mass of the head and having marginal portions extending within said channel portions of said shell with a rear flange of said channel engaged over saidmarginal portions to lock said body within said shell with the rear portion of said body projecting from said shell.

2. In a golf club head, a shell having a substantially flat front wall and a channel extending along the marginal edges of said wall, a weight body constituting the principal mass of the head and having marginal portions to engage within said channel with a rear flange of said channel engaged over said marginal portions to lock said body within said shell with the rear portion of said body projecting from said shell, and a thickness of yieldable material between the opposed faces of said shell and body.

3. In a golf club head, a shell having a front wall, a weight body in said shell, a thickness of yieldable material between the opposed faces of said shell and body, said front wall of said shell 1 having depressions therein, and yieldable elements secured within said depressions.

4. In a golf club head, a shell having a front wall provided with depressions, yieldable elements secured within said depressions, a weight body 05 within said shell and having its front face opposed to said front wall and formed with depres" sions to receive said depressions in said front wall of said shell, and a thickness of yieldable material between said front wall and body.

5. In a golf club head, a shell having a front wall provided with depressions, yieldable elements within said depressions in said front wall and secured therein, a weight body in said shell and having its front face opposed to said front wall, and a thickness of yieldable material between said front wall and body, such yieldable material being intimately united to the opposed surfaces of said body and front wall.

6. A golf club including a head comprising a solid weight body constituting the principal mass of the head, and having a substantially fiat for- Ward side and edge ribs increasing the width of said fiat side, and having a convex rear side, a thin sheet metal shell having a wall covering said flat side of said body and formed with a plurality of spaced apart depressions; and a resilient member in each of said depressions each having a flat face substantially flush with the fiat striking face of the wall of said shell, to yield upon contact with a ball and impart spinning motion thereto.

7. A golf club including a head comprising a solid weight body constituting the principal mass of the head and formed with a substantially flat forward side, a sheet metal shell having a wall covering said flat side of said body and formed with a plurality of depressions, said shell being formed at one end to receive the end of a shaft, a layer of resilient material interposed between said wall of said shell and said flat side of said body, and a plurality of spaced apart resilient members secured in said depressions in said wall of said shell and each having a flat face substantially flush with the flat striking face of said wall. to yield upon contact with a ball and impart spinning motion thereto.

LEONARD A. YOUNG. 

